Open My Heart
by winded.heart
Summary: I guess fate has its own way of working out. I mean…it brought you to me; me to you. Despite the fact that you piss me off. Despite the fact that you put me through hell. I love you, and you love me.
1. I First Encounter

**It's been a long while since I've written anything. I needed a break, and this story came fresh into my mind. I hope you all are ready for a long haul! :] **

_Summary: I guess fate has its own way of working out. I mean…it brought you to me; me to you. Despite the fact that you piss me off. Despite the fact that you put me through hell. I love you, and you love me._

**.OPEN ME HEART.**

**I. First Encounter**

Tonight would be just like any other night: fast-paced, calculating, precise. I had to do my job right, or that would be it. Not to mention, I only had about 45 minutes to complete this ticket, before I needed to be back at the club. With that thought in mind, I sighed silently. I didn't need Barret breathing down my neck again. He's already becoming more suspicious as time goes by. The last thing I need is for him to figure out what's really going on…

_So what's going on?_

Nothing. I'm ensuring that they all have a place in this world; that they can all keep living peacefully and out of danger. _I would live this life over again and again; I have no regrets._ With that thought, I silently ascended the rooftops, beginning the ticket.

"Where the hell if Tifa?!" I wouldn't be surprised if everyone on 12th street heard, and that was 20 blocks away from here. I sighed, deciding to hold my tongue. I already knew what trouble I'd be in if he noticed the bruises down my neck. I heft a box labeled 'fragile' on the top, and enter the back entrance to the club. The rusty door handle signals my arrival; I take in the kitchen scene. Barrett has his arms crossed over his massive chest, one a prosthetic arm and the other human. He was equally massive in height, towering over everyone easily. His head was cleanly shaven, preparing for the "busy season" as he likes to call it. He was in his usual dark greenish-gray cargo pants, I swear he has about 20 pairs of those exact ones, sported with a plain black t-shirt. It read 'SECURITY' in big white letters on both the front and back. I let my eyes drift over to Reno and Rude, a pair you never see apart. Reno has brilliant long red hair always pulled into a pony tail. He was dressed in black jeans and a black shirt, always fresh looking for the ladies. He was a cocky bastard, but also a dear friend. I saw him smirk as our eyes met, and I winked. It was fun to play around with him, but he knew a long time ago I was not interested. Rude, always in professional gear, was sporting his usual button down with slacks and practical shoes. He was never without his sunglasses- that was rarer than him being without Reno. He nodded his head in acknowledgement before walking out the kitchen. I looked over to the worn wall where out plastic clock was. _9:56 PM_. We opened at 10. The kitchen was a bit run down, but that was okay. Barret was planning on remodeling the club soon anyways, so I wasn't paying much attention to it.

"I'm here am I not? Plus, I knew you'd forget these, so I grabbed them on the way." I winked at Barret, hoping that he'd just forget about the fact that I was actually late. I work here at 7th Heaven under his watchful eye as a bartender/waitress. Yuffie works with me along with Elena. Barret thinks that having attractive women bartend brings in big business; he is not wrong. Yuffie and Elena are beautiful. Me…not so much. I'm too much of a tom boy, but once customers are drunk, they never notice anymore. Which means more tips for me.

"Alright, alright. Get changed and get out there. Hurry up!" He grabs the box from me, unpacking liquor, grabbing my wrist before I race up the stairs to our right- that's where I live. My apartment is directly above the club. It's just easier for when I need to come down here and also incredibly cheap.

"Tifa, listen. You know what night this is. Please be careful okay?" I nod, making a dash for the stairs.

Tonight was the homecoming of all the SOLDIERs. They were deadly when rubbed the wrong way. Mako enhanced machines of destruction; that's what many thought of them. Me…I tended not to think of them at all. I let my clothes pull around my feet, staring at myself in the mirror. Scars adorned my skin along with bruises. Some yellow, some purple. I will forever look like this; broken, shattered. I quickly changed into my leather skirt and matching vest, tired of seeing this woman.

I always wore a tank underneath unlike my other coworkers. Barret always says a little skin is harmless. And well frankly, I think my knockers do their justice by themselves without leaving more for desire. I put on my shoes and head downstairs. As soon as I make it through the door connecting to the bar, I already see the line outside. Barret just opened the entrance doors, and as if on cue, Reno cranked the music. He really did have a gift for being a DJ. He always knew what to play; this song was easy going, soft but steady. It had a building feel to it, ready to grow everyone's excitement before getting down and dirty. I took my place at the center of the bar; it was square in shape. The liquor was placed on shelves and in cubby holes attached to the wall that adorned mirrors. Yuffie flanked my left, while Elena my right. We already had a crowd forming.

"You ready girls?" Yuffie's soprano voice chirped, winking at us. She was always mischievous, and tended to break a lot of hearts. I always wound up cleaning up the mess. I shook my head, flashing my perfected flirty bartender smile at my first customer. I saw the way he checked me out, knowing that he'd be drunk within minutes.

"What can I get for you sugar?" Nick names do not befit me, but I know it'll make for bigger tips, so I keep them going.

"How about some of you." He winks, and I feel like I want to hurl. He wasn't even good looking for starters, just not my type. But as quickly as that thought passes, I squash it down. I won't be thinking of this tonight. Not now. Not ever. Just…not _him._ What startles me about him, and about every SOLDIER I meet, is the green mako that reflects back. It's so vivid and bright. I lean a little, dazzling him as best I can.

"Perhaps after work…let's start you off with something to drink." And within 10 minutes, he's tipped me $80. I know tonight is going to be a good night.

"Finally, a break." I hear Elena say, wiping her hand across her forehead. I had to agree, we were rushed. It was now 11:43 PM and the club was full to its maximum capacity. Another thing Barret wanted to take care of; increasing the space to the club. He'd need another bouncer or 2, maybe 3 for this time of year. There are still SOLDIERs waiting outside to get in, while the rest either sit at the booths on the left side of the club, or dance around the rest of the club.

"I'd like me a piece of that." Yuffie says, eyeing on guy in particular. And he was pretty cute, I must say. His blackish blue hair was spiked back, while his bangs framed his face. He had sharp cheek bones and a nice jaw line. His nose was straight, unlike every other SOLDIER here who had bumps. His eyes were a bright blue, tainted with hints of mako. He looked over at precisely that moment and smiled, making his way over. He was finely built as well. Something about him though…it made me feel a pull in my heart as if we'd be connected for a very long time after tonight. _Wonderful…_

"Well here's your chance." I say, chuckling a little before pouring myself a shot of rum. As I chug it down, he stands directly in front of me, a brow cocked as he leans his elbow onto his hand.

"Isn't drinking on the job not permitted?" He's got a smug look on his face. I roll my eyes, placing my hands on my hips.

"Not especially. Why do you ask?" Yuffie is looking back and forth between us, a devilish grin on her face. She is up to no good.

"Wouldn't want you to do anything you'd regret." And with that he winks. As good looking as he was, there was no way in hell I'd hook up with him.

"I am quite capable of taking care of myself, thanks." I pour him a shot and toss the glass at him. Not surprisingly, he catches it without spilling even a drop.

"Zack." He chugs it eagerly, letting it smash onto the counter. I chuckle, grabbing a towel to wipe up the shards.

"Tifa. This is Yuffie and Elena." I gesture to them and I don't have to look to know what kind of signals Yuffie is sending him. He politely ignores her though. That is a first. I have no problems becoming friends with this guy.

"So, you all alone tonight? Where's the girlfriend?" Elena asks, beginning to fill empty cups sliding her way.

"I don't have one. Waiting for my friend to get here. Typical for him to be late." He shakes his head, downing another shot of rum.

"Not very reliable, eh?" I ask, dumping the fragments into the trash. I keep my back to Zack, feeling my chest tighten. _It's that feeling again._ I place a shaky hand to my chest, feeling my heart accelerate and pulse wildly. This only happens under certain circumstances, and I have no clue how this is connected to work.

"It's the opposite. He's too reliable. Ah there he is! HEY OVER HERE!" At that precise moment, I look into the mirror and it's as if everything falls away. I watch as he slowly makes his way over, somehow managing to make his way through all the dancers. His hair sticks out in every direction, but it's suitable. It's a shiny pale blond, with bangs that frame his face as well. His face was beautiful; hard angles underneath smooth pale skin. Lips that were thin yet full all at the same time. Tiny freckles, barely noticeable at all. But before I saw all this, all I saw was blue; Pure, cerulean blue. _Those eyes…_ I turned around slowly, just as he took his place beside Zack. I didn't have time to form a response, all I could do was stare into those endless depths of blue.

"This is Cloud. Cloud this is Yuffie, Elena and Tifa." I nodded, returning to our reality. His eyes never left mine. It felt as if he was looking through me, right into my soul. As if he knew my secrets. But I'll never tell. I'll die before I let you figure me out.

**So what did you think? I wanted to go with something exciting and suspenseful, to really get you hooked. There are a lot of questions arising here but everything will be explained eventually. I'll be posting again Sunday! Stay tuned. And hey, review button is right down below! ;]**


	2. II Endless Night

**I'm thankful for those of you who read and reviewed. :] It made me happy. Thank you so much! Here's chapter 2 as promised!**

******II. ENDLESS NIGHT**

I heard them greet him; watched as he nodded in acknowledgment but never actually looked over. His eyes never left mine. I heard a small grunt and finally broke from the trance. I turned my head left, seeing that spark in Yuffie's eyes. I just shake my head, rolling my eyes.

"What can I get for you?" I turn away, feeling my heart accelerate even quicker._ Why is he so familiar?_

"A shot of rum." His voice was silky, with a hard edge to it. It gave me goose bumps. I poured him his shot and slid it over, letting my eyes remain on the ground. I knew if I looked at him that I'd be lost again, unable to find my way.

"So, what brings you guys in tonight?" Elena asked, trying to keep up the small talk. I kept my ears open, deciding to clean. It would distract me.

"Well, I guess the mako didn't give us away then. We're SOLDIERs. Just got back from our tour so we decided to celebrate. So what better than to spend our night surrounded by pretty ladies." I heard Zack chuckle, warming to him. At least he could make me feel better.

"Yeah? Hopefully you'll be able to stay put for a while. It's such a shame you guys are gone so much." Yuffie snickered.

"Hopefully, you see we're actually looking to settle down now. So if any of you ladies want to give it a go…" I looked up in time to see Zack wink at me, chuckling at this gesture.

"You have had too much to drink my friend." I make a grab for his glass, but he swipes it away, glaring at me.

"Hey! That's not fair. I've been fighting to protect you. And you repay me this way." That rubs me the wrong way. _Where were you when it all happened? _Images of **his **face come to mind, and I begin shuddering. I glance up at blue eyes; his eyes never left me this whole time. _He is so familiar looking…_

"Well maybe you'll get lucky tonight." Yuffie winks at him and turns to start serving the small line that suddenly appeared. Reno dropped a slow beat, signaling the next busy wave of drinkers. This is what my night would consist of: pouring drinks, flirting shamelessly, and watching blue eyes in the mirror. He never stopped looking at me.

I heard it way before I wanted to respond, so I chucked it against the wall, hearing it shatter apart. With a frustrated sigh, I got out of bed. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes, glaring at the now remnants of my alarm clock. _That's the fifth one this month. _I really am not a morning person, but with thoughts of Marlene in tow, I didn't really have a choice. That girl was as sweet as can be, and I would do absolutely anything for her. I knew I only had about 10 minutes before I'd heard her soft rasp against my front door, yelling with her soprano voice that she was here and ready. _If only I could have that innocence back…I will protect you Marlene. With everything I have. _That's why I was living my life the way I was. That's why as I check my phone, I don't shudder anymore when I see the text message from **him. **

_From: XXX_

_Be ready by 10 PM. New ticket.  
I'll text you the details later.  
Received: 5:00 AM_

I glanced at the time scrunched up in the corner; it was 7:45 in the morning. _You can't at least give me a break. This is the third ticket this week. _Lately, I've been doing more tickets in a week. It use to be about three to four a month, now it's one to three a week. A ticket is a mission. I get sent a ticket order to carry out; no questions asked. I had to do it, or my family would pay the price. I didn't need another fatality on my hands. I let myself laugh dryly at the irony of it all. _I'm going to hell anyways. _

_To: XXX_

_Okay.  
Sent: 7:50 AM_

And not a moment later as I pull on my shirt, that knock came from the door. I let myself smile, the only real smile I was capable of, as I thought of the little girl standing on the other side.

"It's open!" I holler, hearing her fumble with the too-big knob.

"No I wanna do it!" I chuckle at her scolding Barret, her adoptive father. When the door finally opens, I kneel to her level, holding my arms wide open.

"Hey there kiddo!" My smile only grows as I watch her run into my arms. _I wonder what it will feel like to have a kid of my own…if only I could. _

"Tifa! Daddy said I couldn't come see you last night because it was busy. I wanted to stay over." I watched her pout and glare at Barret, but he just flashed a smile.

"Frowns are unbefitting of you. I was busy though. How about you stay over tomorrow night?" I smooth out the small crease in her forehead, taking her hand as I grab my keys.

"I can't stay over tonight?"

"No, sweetie. I'm busy tonight." I saw in the corner of my eye how Barret's eyebrow raised. It's not something that he would ever know.

"What are you doing?" I racked my brain for a good answer, finding nothing to respond with.

"Well, I need a new alarm clock." I tapped her nose and she giggled.

"You broke one again?"

"Alarm clocks make me angry." She giggled again as we walked across the threshold, out of the only safe haven I have.

We said our goodbyes to Barret. I took Marlene to school, and he prepared the club for the oncoming night. It was such a peaceful ride above the plate to where her school was. It was a shame that Marlene had to stay underneath, where the dirt and lifeless world was. But I promised I would get her out. I was planning on fulfilling that promise soon.

"Tifa, do you ever wonder what life would be like if we didn't live here?" Her question took me by surprise. Sometimes it was hard to remember she was only six years old. That little girl had the intelligence of a nine year old.

"Sometimes. But, this is the life we live right now and we have to make the most of it. We have to find the good in each situation. Because in the end, were all working towards a new goal…a new dream. We can't lose sight of that." I watch the upper class walk around on their cell phones, as if they have no care in the world. _If only they knew what terrors their lives could be subjected to. _

"You're right. I'm happy here. With you and Daddy. I love you Tifa." She looks up at me with those pure big brown eyes. It was hard to run away from my life as tempted as I am sometimes when all my reasons rest with her.

"I love you too kid."

As her school comes into view, I breathe a sigh of relief. I feel that she is safe here, no matter what's going on. Her school filled with a lawn of vivid green grass and vibrant flowers. The smell of good; of happy. I watched her run up to the group of kids, giving them a high five as she went. I couldn't help by chuckle at the scene.

"Hey Marlene!" A voice from behind me called. I turned around as she did. The source of that high pitched sound was a little boy with stormy blue eyes and shaggy brown hair. He was a scrawny little things, just how every little boy was his age. But he was adorable.

"Hi Denzel!" She came running back over, giving out another high five. I felt her grab my hand and pull me down.

"Are you Marlene's mom?" He asked, scratching his head. I laughed, shaking my head.

"Denzel, this is Tifa!" He made a surprised face, taking me in. _Do you talk about me kid? _

"_You're _Tifa?" I wasn't sure how to take this comment. What exactly was she saying about me.

"The one and only." He gave me another once over with doubtful eyes.

"Marlene, I thought you said she was really strong. Her arms look really tiny." _So much for adorable. This little rascal…._

"Denzel, that's enough." I felt myself go stiff. It can't be…I slowly looked up to see blue eyes staring down at me.

"Who's that?" Marlene chirped. I stood, brushing dirt off my knees. I kept my eyes focused on the ground, remembering how caught up I get when looking into his.

"This is Cloud. You couldn't tell?" I couldn't help but glance up, seeing him make a face at Denzel. I looked over at Marlene; she was studying him. About five seconds later recognition lit her features.

"Chocobo head!" I couldn't resist laughing with them. I watched as he began glaring at the side walk.

"Go on. Don't be late for class." He shoved his hands into his pockets, looking anywhere but at us.

"You too kiddo." I ruffled her hair a bit.

"You'll pick me up right Tifa?"

"3 o'clock sharp." We smiled at each other and she ran off with Denzel. When they got into the building I turned to give him one last glance. He was staring intently at me. I felt my heart pick up, but couldn't form any words. We stood there for about a minute staring at each other, and I let out a frustrated sigh, turning on me heel to leave. My foot must have caught on a loose pebble because somehow I slipped. I felt his arms around me before I saw the blue; those eyes searching my soul as they always do.

_I guess you could say this is how we began._

**I know this is a few days late, I got called into work and I have finals next week. But hope you enjoy! Review please!**


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